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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. clip — a video
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. clip — to cut
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. toast — bread
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. clip — for paper
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com